Author's hiking tour to the Putorana plateau. Canyons and waterfalls

Go on a walking trip to the edge of mountains, canyons and waterfalls. From Norilsk, then by water to the confluence of the Hoisi River in Lake Lama. Then walk along the canyons of the Hoisi and Bunisyak rivers, along the way admire the northern forest and the flat peaks of the plateau, basalt rocks. You will see how the canyons begin and how the waterfalls break off in a powerful stream from the slopes.

The tour is conducted with a group of 7 people or more. Leave a request to find out how many participants there are at the moment.

Location

the city of Norilsk
from
$1,251
+ tickets to the starting point of the tour
No need to pay now
Duration
12 Days
11 Nights
Departures
  • Group departures
    • Dates for next season
    • 8 – 19 July, 2025
or
Accommodation
  • Tent
    11 nights
Comfort
  • Basic
Difficulty
Challenging
Does not require specific skills, but one must be in good health
Group
Up to 20 people
Minimum age
18 years old
Group meet at
the city of Norilsk
Contact the tour coordinator
Weekdays: 8am - 8pm
Weekends: 8am - 7pm (GMT +3)
Or text us in messengers

Tour highlights

Grand waterfalls
We will see many very different, powerful, cascading waterfalls
The real North
If desired, we will get acquainted with Norilsk, visit the Museum of the North and eat venison
A day at the lake
After a hike, we will relax on the shore of the famous Lama Lake

Itinerary

  • Day 1 - Water drop to Lama Lake

    9:00 Meeting in Norilsk.

    Transfer to the hydroport.

    Water drop to the beginning of the route, 165 km.

    The travel time depends on the water level in the lakes, storms and other conditions.

    We walk through the lake on the water. Shallow, Lama Lake.

    The route starts at the mouth of the Hoisi River.

    We distribute public equipment (tents, awnings, gasoline, burners, food among the participants, depending on the number of people in the group, it is approximately 9-10 kg).

  • Day 2 - Hoisi Canyon
  • Day 3 - Radial access to an unnamed waterfall
  • Day 4 - Ascent to the plateau
  • Day 5 - Radial access to the lake of Dogs
  • Day 6 - Hiking to the Giggle River
  • Day 7 - Radial exit to Elden Mountain
  • Day 8 - Walking to Bunisyak Canyon
  • Day 9 - Crossing along the Bunisyak River
  • Day 10 - Walking distance to Lama Lake
  • Day 11 - A day at Lama Lake
  • Day 12 - Completing the route
Difficulty
Does not require specific skills, but one must be in good health
Tour organizer's comments

Hiking route with backpacks, the weight of public equipment distributed for each participant is about 10 kg.

Accommodation

Accommodation
  • Tent
    11 nights
Comfort
  • Basic

The tour includes overnight stays in tourist tents.

Tent city 11 nights

Tour conditions

Group
up to 20 tourists
Minimum age
18 years old
Duration
12 days 11 nights
Group meets at
the city of Norilsk

Included in price

  • drop-in and drop-out on water-powered transport;
  • meals on the route;
  • guide services;
  • satellite communication in case of emergency;
  • rent of public equipment;
  • insurance including helicopter ejection.(in case of injury);
  • obtaining a permit to visit the buffer zone of the reserve for a group;
  • registration of the group in the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Paid extra

  • flight to Norilsk and back;
  • meals and accommodation in Norilsk.

It's important to know

Personal equipment you need for the tour

Equipment and accessories:

  • backpack (80 l for girls and 100 l for men);
  • polyurethane mat;
  • the seat (poper);
  • a plastic bag or a hermetic bag (inserted inside the backpack to protect against moisture);
  • sunglasses;
  • warm sleeping bag — comfort temperature range -5;
  • spoon, mug, plate, knife;
  • trekking poles;
  • raincoat;
  • rain cape on the backpack;
  • lantern;
  • matches sealed in polyethylene or plastic packaging or a lighter;
  • an individual first aid kit (with the necessary set of personal and specific medicines no more than 200 grams by weight). The instructors will have a general first-aid kit in case of injuries, and you will need to take some specific medicines with you:
    • piece bactericidal plasters 5-10 pcs.;
    • elastic bandage 1-2 pcs. or knee pads (knees often hurt because of the heavy load, and it is not possible to put 10 bandages in a group first aid kit - they are very bulky);
    • medications that you use specifically;
  • thermos or plastic bottle;
  • mosquito repellents, mosquito repellent.. 

Clothes:

  • thermal underwear (set, depending on the time of year);
  • trousers are light, sporty, for daily wear, depending on the time of the year;
  • jacket, fleece, etc. 1-2 pcs. (preferably made of modern materials);
  • windproof waterproof suit – jacket + trousers. Availability is mandatory (In summer — protection from wind and rain);
  • a warm jacket, ideally a small down jacket;
  • wool socks (trekking, insulated) — at least 2 pairs;
  • shoes: 
    • worn trekking boots (shoes must have good water repellent properties);
    • wading boots;
    • trekking sandals;
  • warm sports hat — 2 pcs (in summer a cap with a visor + a cap);
  • personal hygiene products (toothbrush and paste, toilet paper, etc.);
  • gloves in summer – simple 2 pairs;

The requirement for a set of "personal belongings" is nothing superfluous and heavy, since besides them you will have to carry food (about 600 grams per day per person) for the entire route and group equipment (tents, awning, burners, boilers, etc.)

There are many wetlands on the route that have to be crossed into a ford, so you must have long waders.

What documents are required for foreign citizens?
Is insurance included in the price of the tour?
Transport
Food
Shared equipment provided, which is distributed evenly among all members of the group

Dates and Prices

The tour dates are not confirmed yet. Please, for clarification
  • $1,251
    8 – 19 Jul, 2025 12 days 11 nights
    Submit request
    No need to pay now

Reviews

  • A
    Alexandra
    8 Nov, 2024
    about tour
    The route takes you through breathtakingly beautiful landscapes, leaving you with vivid, unforgettable impressions of nature. It’s not always easy terrain—sometimes it’s downright challenging—but the views make it all worthwhile. Any difficulties you encounter are part of the location’s unique character, not drawbacks of the tour. Definitely bring sturdy waders. :) We traveled with Tatiana, who was fantastic—bright, open, interesting, and a wonderful guide. I’d love to cross paths with her again someday. The pace was comfortable, the meal schedule kept us satisfied, and the starts weren’t too early. After considering many options, I think this tour strikes the perfect balance of duration, experience, cost, and physical demand. It’s ideal if you’re not an athlete but enjoy a good adventure.
    8 Nov, 2024
    6 more photos
  • A
    Alexandra
    8 Nov, 2024
    about provider
    Reliable, responsive and professional
    8 Nov, 2024
    6 more photos
  • IA
    Ivan Alekseev
    14 Aug, 2021
    about tour
    The trip left the most pleasant impressions. The species component will not leave anyone indifferent. The unique Lama Lake with quiet blue water and white creeping clouds, stunning scenery, canyon-like valleys of rivers cutting through the Putorana plateau, and the rocky highlands themselves with tundra vegetation and an insane number of waterfalls so unlike each other - local landscapes take for the soul. The desire to make beautiful shots was satisfied 100%. In terms of difficulty, the hike corresponds to the 1st category of hiking. The weight of public equipment, taking into account not the most modest and light layout (the organizer does not bother with dried and freeze-dried products), came out at 10-11 kg per person. There are many fords through stormy rivers, and in July, during the melting of snow, and in August, during prolonged rains, they can be very deep. 80% of the route we walked in bogs, regularly rolling them to full height, half of the hike we made our way through swamps (during rains turning into an obstacle course), the other half we jumped on slippery river boulders and boulders of different sizes and degrees of mobility. 3 days went wet under incessant rain in a thick fog, 8 days strenuously protected from mosquitoes and midges (in warm, windless weather, a legion of blood-sucking insects flies, a mosquito net is mandatory, a mosquito suit or reftamide balloon for hot weather is desirable), 2 days enjoyed clear and relatively hot, windy weather, 5 days walked with watery eyes in a thick smoky fog of forest fires that came from a neighboring region. 2/3 of the route visibility around did not exceed 300-500 m, often reduced to 50-100m. The species were severely restricted because of this. The only thing that didn't happen was frost and snow, and thanks for that. Nevertheless, not the simplest weather conditions and long transitions (radials for 8-11 hours of non-stop movement on kurumniki and talus slopes) I was mentally prepared, so they didn't come as a surprise. I have not experienced any difficulties, subjectively, with good physical training, the route does not seem difficult. Although the average tourist will definitely have a different opinion. Well, I got what I wanted. My adventures began at the very beginning of the trip, when after arrival it turned out that the s7 airline had lost my transfer luggage. All the equipment had to be hastily bought in fishing shops in Norilsk (the city is still a hole). The casting of our group, in agreement with all the participants (there were 3 other people besides me), was postponed for a day! There were also minor technical issues related to the organization of the hike, but thanks to our guide - mountaineering instructor from Yekaterinburg Evgeny Baltybaev - they were all successfully solved. The guide turned out to be an experienced escort and a wonderful person. He coped well with the management of the route, the organization of camp life and harmoniously joined our small team of 4 participants. Many thanks to the guide. Total: 1. For the entertainment of the route - 8/10 (reduced rating due to poor visibility in the weather). 2. Compliance with the program - 7/10. The route depends heavily on the weather. We did not go down the Bunisyak Valley, we did not go to Mount Elden. They returned, as they came, under the Hoisi Valley. The program needs to be improved in terms of realism. Empty beautiful words need to be removed, and tell more about the real landscape conditions. 3. Meals - 7/10. Delicious, varied, enough in volume, the claim is only to the weight of the food. There is room for improvement. 4. Accommodation - 6/10 - I wrote about the quality of tents in a review about the organizer. 5. To the coordinator of the Big country Yulia Tyurina - 10/10. There are no complaints about the work. 6. Guide Evgeny Baltybaev - 10/10. 7. Local organizer Tatiana Golovina - 4/10 8. The overall rating of the tour is 8.5/10.
    14 Aug, 2021